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Kao Thai Cuisine, Columbia, SC

Kao Thai Cuisine

4.6
4.6
333 Reviews
$31 to $50
Thai
Our menu offers modern Thai eats that are commonly found on the streets of Bangkok as well as a mix of creative pan-Asian and Asian-American fusion dishes that are fresh and exciting. With a rotating menu of specials, we hope to continuously bring new flavors and dishes to the Main Street District!

Make a reservation

2 people

10:00 PM


Booked 9 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Cuisines
    Thai, Asian, Fusion / Eclectic
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 11:30 am–2:30 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 4:30 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Mon–Fri 4:30 pm–6:30 pm
  • Phone number
    (803) 569-6881
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Owned/operated by
    Asian and Pacific Islander, Women
  • Neighborhood
    Columbia
  • Cross street
    Main St. and Lady St.
  • Parking details
    We offer customers free parking in our adjacent lot. Enter on Senate St. and exit onto Park St.
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine

What 333 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.6
4.6 based on recent ratings
  • 4.7Food
  • 4.5Service
  • 4.4Ambience
  • 4.4Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Columbia

    Best Food

  • Columbia

    Best Service

  • Columbia

    Best Value

  • Columbia

    Good for business meals

  • Columbia

    Innovative

  • Columbia

    Healthy

  • Columbia

    Lively

333 Reviews
  1. TonyP

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    overall3food4service2ambience3
    Not the same vibe as before. My expectations for service and food quality are very different than USC students and you are now in that area. Had to ask for water refills multiple times, not hard to see an empty carafe. The place wasn’t busy when we were there. It was our favorite Thai place now a college hang out

    Is this helpful?

  2. ColaThai

    Charleston

    35 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    35 reviews

    Dined 6 days ago

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    The Roti was crispy and the panang curry was spicy and flavorful! Wednesday was half off bottles of wine night . Service was exceptional ! Definitely will go back !

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  3. AliciaH

    Charleston

    23 reviews

    5.0

    23 reviews

    Dined on September 23, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    So happy they have a bigger building. Love their food and cocktails. Nice ambiance also and atmosphere. I had the duck which was great and two tasty cocktails.

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  4. TouringFoodGuy

    Exclusive

    19 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on September 22, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience4
    Service was excellent. Happy Hour prices on drinks and apps was great. Portions were big and tasty. My wife's dish was different than what she expected, and they happily replaced it with something else. We will return when in town.

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  5. Dougie

    Charleston

    8 reviews

    5.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on September 20, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Wow, what an amazing new location on Main street. I think the food is even better than when they were on Senate Street.

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  6. Sean

    Hawaii

    23 reviews

    5.0

    23 reviews

    Dined on September 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    My wife and I just found this place and will absolutely be back! The food was amazing and the service great. Definitely enjoyed our time!

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  7. IsaF

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 18, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience5
    Roti and curry is an amazing appetizer. The Drunken Noodles were flavorful but the noodles were undercooked so I did not enjoy the dish as much as I hoped to!

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  8. DanielRicciardo

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on September 9, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Fantastic food, atmosphere, and drinks. Staff was excellent and I had an absolutely lovely evening dinner here. I had the Roti and Curry to start with and the Pad Kapow (thai hot) as my entree which I was very excited about since that seems to be a difficult dish to find in the area. Both were excellent and I’d highly recommend them! Serving size was large, I only ate about half the meal with plenty of leftovers. Definitely going to be coming back!

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  9. MattK

    Charleston

    12 reviews

    5.0

    12 reviews

    Dined on September 7, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food and vibe. The owner "Sunshine" greeted us personally. A wonderful addition to Main Street in Columbia.

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  10. KEMM

    Western NC

    5 reviews

    5.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on September 2, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Had a great family dinner for my birthday. Service from Ian was on point, food was excellent, cocktails crafted by Mychelle were amazing, and we all loved the new location on Main Street! Sidenote: parking instructions haven't been updated from the previous location. There is parking on the street or there are a few parking garages super close by.

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  11. ElizabethF

    1 review

    3.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 21, 2023

    overall3food3service2ambience2
    Pretty but loud. Servers are young and inexperienced. Has potential. Servers need a menu tutorial so they can answer customer questions.

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  12. MitchelC

    Charlotte

    7 reviews

    4.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on August 18, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience3
    The space is too small for the tables. The food is great as expected but I thought their new space would be larger.

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  13. Merry

    1 review

    4.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 17, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience3
    The food was as great as ever and the table tops can be scrubbed. The service was great.

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  14. OpenTable Diner

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 11, 2023

    overall5food5service4ambience4
    Service was ok. Food was incredible. They were out of a lot of beers including all the drafts but the food made up for it. Pad woon sen was amazing.

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  15. KimPH

    Naples

    4 reviews

    5.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on August 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food, great energy. Selection for both food and cocktails solid, presentation great and delivered on taste. We had Pad Thai, Seaweed Salad and Classic Thai Fried Rice. Bangkok Shrimp for appetizer. All fresh and yummy. Service was attentive but not hovering, and very helpful. Highly recommend you try it!

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  16. OpenTable Diner

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 5, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    So happy this place is open again! It’s always a great experience.

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  17. FairyGodmother2000

    Charleston

    34 reviews

    vip
    1.0

    34 reviews

    Dined on August 4, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    I made a reservation through Open Table and arrived at the address on the confirmation only to find that this restaurant was not there. So I called the restaurant and was told they had moved a week ago. What?? And nobody thought to call the out of town visitors to tell them the correct address?!! When I arrived, nobody apologized for this and nobody even offered me a beer to say they were sorry for such an inconvenience. I asked the server for recommendations and followed the suggestion to order the Senate Street noodles. They were so spicy I could not eat them. The waitress asked if I did not like the dish when she noticed that the plate she was taking away was still full. I explained that the food was much too spicy and I could not eat it. No mention was made about subtracting this item from my check. The restaurant was so noisy that I could hear every word of the conversation at the table across from me. So this experience was disappointing from start to finish. I had to drive around Columbia, a city I am not familiar with, find parking twice, and then pay for an inedible meal. We will not be returning on our next trip.

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  18. PattiG

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on August 1, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great experience! Dropping our son off at college and wanted a nice, good, healthy dinner. The whole experience was great, from the cocktails to the food. We were alittle late for our reservation and they were so accommodating . Great waiter, dry attentive and the food was delivered quickly. Definitely coming back when we’re in town . A must try for sure!

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  19. Shelbs

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on June 2, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    This was only our second time dining there both experience was very pleasant. We will be back for sure

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  20. DeedraR

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 20, 2023

    overall5food4service4ambience5
    We found the restaurant to have a nice look and peaceful ambience. The food and service was really good. We will definitely telling others about this place.

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  21. LiseA

    Charleston

    18 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    18 reviews

    Dined on May 19, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    Great service. My husband loved his cashew chicken as usual. I had the pad Thai, which was too spicy for me. Overall, everything was great as usual. I’ll go back to the Senate Street noodles next time, which are my favorite!

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  22. Chelsea

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 19, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Super cute place. Amazing cocktails. Wonderful food. Attentive service. Upset I found this gem late but I will definitely be going back a bunch to try more of the menu.

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  23. Coco

    Charleston

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on May 14, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We love Kao Thai! Last night's special was outstanding! It is called Nom Khao. It is a crispy rice salad. There is some heat to it, but it is delicious. Highly recommend it! Also the shrimp shumai is a favorite!

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  24. OpenTable Diner

    Charleston

    4 reviews

    4.0

    4 reviews

    Dined on May 4, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience3
    Nice ambience with garage doors. Good drinks and food.

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  25. CourtneyM

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on May 3, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Perfect sport for any occasion! The food and drinks are always phenomenal! Highly recommend trying any drink they create for their seasonal menus.

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  26. BobK

    Charleston

    77 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    77 reviews

    Dined on April 22, 2023

    overall4food5service5ambience3
    Great flavors in the dishes. Ginger sauce actually tasted of ginger. Duck filled roti was awesome.

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  27. NoahR

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on April 21, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience4
    Atmosphere was nice. Outside dining was enjoyable. Drinks took very long to get, server acknowledged the delays. Guests on patio were approached several times by panhandler. No management interaction with guests to improve service or experience.

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  28. OpenTable Diner

    Charleston

    42 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    42 reviews

    Dined on April 14, 2023

    overall5food4service5ambience5
    We love the happy hours menu Good deal on appetizers and drinks

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  29. ColaThai

    Charleston

    35 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    35 reviews

    Dined on April 12, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience5
    A very nice dinner out. Service great, prices great, and one meal very good . One over cooked. This is a go to restaurant. We will be back!

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  30. MelissaF

    Charleston

    23 reviews

    vip
    3.0

    23 reviews

    Dined on March 30, 2023

    overall3food2service4ambience4
    It was a busy night before a concert and they did their very best to get us in and out and we all appreciated it! We were a party of 5 and the food came out sporadically but that was fine. Unfortunately I have had better food from Kao Thai. If it had been my first time I would not be going back. I ordered the tuna appetizer only to find out it wasn’t available as food was being delivered to the table. With no menu offered to me, off the top of my head I ordered the wing appetizer and they were dry and had no flavor needing salt. The sauce was on the side - so you either dip them in which was hard to do or pour it all over and it was very sticky. They need to rethink that appetizer - and offer wet wipes with it!. The Brussel sprouts app was good and the spring rolls were very good. Everyone else felt their food was just ok, nothing special.

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  31. SteveC

    Charlotte

    8 reviews

    vip
    4.0

    8 reviews

    Dined on March 30, 2023

    overall4food4service2ambience3
    The food was all very good. Two of us had the drunken noodles, and others had currys. All were very good. The brussel sprout appetizer was excellent as well were the spring rolls. Our service was lackluster. Server would disappear, food came out but had to go find silverware and napkins. Not horrible but just not very attentive. We had an outside table and it was a nice evening. Table was not very clean and seemed "well used/worn". Again, not horrible but just not as nice or clean as it could be. I'd recommend based on the quality of the food mainly, with the mediocrity of the other areas not outweighing the food quality.

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  32. EmilyD

    Charleston

    5 reviews

    1.0

    5 reviews

    Dined on March 29, 2023

    overall1food5service1ambience3
    My friend and I like to go to Kao Thai before shows at the Koger Center. The food is always good and the location is super duper convenient to the Koger Center. And up until last night, the service has always been exceptional. I don’t know what happened last night, but we didn’t see anyone until we had been seen until we had been sitting there for almost 20 minutes when the bartender took pity on us and took our order. The waitress serving the other table in the little room we were placed in went out of her way to keep her back to us and not make eye contact with anyone at our table at all, the entire time. We got to the restaurant a little before 6:30 for our reserved time, we didn’t even get water at the table until 6:50. We didn’t see food until after 7:10, which then had to be scarfed down in order to leave by 7:20 to make it over to the Koger Center for a 7:30 show. I get being in the weeds, my friend and I have both worked food service, so we get it. But this was ridiculous. The waitress that refused to engage lost out on a really nice tip. Thank you to the bartender for taking care of us in-between bar patron duties. Next time I’ll just ask to sit at the bar and save her a few steps.

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  33. JamesB

    Charleston

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 29, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    We were in search of a nice Thai restaurant for a Birthday Dinner for three and were not disappointed! Great location, food, ambiance and service! We will go back. All three meals were spot on and the waitress was very helpful in describing potential selections. Great restaurant!

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  34. VivianW

    Atlanta Metro

    19 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    19 reviews

    Dined on March 28, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Service and food were excellent! Always enjoy dining here!

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  35. OpenTable Diner

    Orlando

    2 reviews

    4.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 25, 2023

    overall4food4service5ambience4
    Our waitress (Jasmine I think) was helpful and had a great smile to accommodate our questions and requests. This was our first time trying a bao bun and it was quite tasty. Overall pretty good experience

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  36. Sidd

    Chicago

    2 reviews

    5.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on March 18, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Get the lychee duck and the roti. Crab fried rice is pretty good too

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  37. RayJ

    Charleston

    10 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined on March 17, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience5
    Great food prepared exceptionally great. Ttyyiiucdhokhrcjiu*

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  38. CandiceV

    Charleston

    1 review

    1.0

    1 review

    Dined on March 17, 2023

    overall1food1service1ambience1
    We got there at 2pm and the restaurant was closed. No sign or explanation. Second time it happens, we make reservations and get to the restaurant and it is close.

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  39. ColaThai

    Charleston

    35 reviews

    vip
    5.0

    35 reviews

    Dined on March 12, 2023

    overall5food5service5ambience4
    Good food, good service, reasonable prices. Nice atmosphere !

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  40. RhondaM

    Charleston

    3 reviews

    4.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on March 11, 2023

    overall4food4service4ambience3
    The food was great. The serving size were appropriate and just right. My daughter was the only one that didn’t really like her crab fried rice dish because there was eggs in it and she’s not a fan of eggs. Other than that, everything was great. Our sever Grant was very attentive and accommodating.

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FAQs

You can order delivery directly from Kao Thai Cuisine using the Order Online button. Kao Thai Cuisine also offers delivery in partnership with Chow Now. Kao Thai Cuisine also offers takeout which you can order by calling the restaurant at (803) 569-6881.

Kao Thai Cuisine is rated 4.6 stars by 333 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people

10:00 PM


Booked 9 times today

Order delivery or takeout

Google Map for Kao Thai Cuisine

1307 Main St, Columbia, SC 29201

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Main St. and Lady St.
  • Neighborhood
    Columbia
  • Hours of operation
    Lunch Mon–Sat 11:30 am–2:30 pm Dinner Mon–Sat 4:30 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Mon–Fri 4:30 pm–6:30 pm
  • Cuisines
    Thai, Asian, Fusion / Eclectic
  • Dining style
    Casual Elegant
  • Dress code
    Smart Casual
  • Parking details
    We offer customers free parking in our adjacent lot. Enter on Senate St. and exit onto Park St.
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Owned/operated by
    Asian and Pacific Islander, Women
  • Additional
    Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Counter Seating, Delivery, Full Bar, Gender Neutral Restroom, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Takeout, Wheelchair Access, Wine
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